Building A Garage Door – Martin Takes The Lean Approach

Martin Door Manufacturing takes building a garage door to a new level with their lean garage doors.

'Lean' in this case translates to a garage door company free of cumbersome processes that can easily bog down a business.

Martin Door Vice President Larry Martin has always been interested in anything that will facilitate making "the world's finest, safest garage door," in a more efficient manner. He actively seeks to improve the methods by which Martin Doors are made.

Lean manufacturing, Martin Door style, combines some of the thinking of Asian experts with that of American business consultants. Martin's lean manufacturing system implements some elements of poka-yoke---or a system designed to make mistakes nearly impossible to make.

Lean manufacturing principles are a key part of the processes that go into building every Martin Garage Door. The system has helped Martin Door reduce paperwork, streamline inventory control and flow and make each worker's station an efficiency center. As a result, Martin Door is able to ship customized doors within 48 hours and does not have backorders.

To hear Larry tell the story, the odyssey for the perfect system is ongoing.

"We're not great yet, but we're very good," Larry told a touring group of the Utah Legislature who came to Martin Door Manufacturing to learn about lean manufacturing.

Larry told the group that Martin's processes evolved from the Dale Carnegie classes of the 80s on communication to an earnest study of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's emphasis on continuous improvement to implementation of Toyota production expert Dr. Shigeo Shingo's emphasis on reducing waste. There are a lot of elements that Martin utilizes in the manufacturing process, ranging from a pull card system to a single minute exchange of dies, which are all fundamental to the makeup of every garage door.

About The Author:

Rob Adams is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.garage-doors-n-openers.com. Find everything you need to know about free garage plans, commercial and residential openers, installation tips, and more.